Bleak D1 runner here.
I only train for track as a mid distance runner (miler) and my coach is giving me 1500s @VO2 for the first workout this upcoming week, and a testing workout of 8x400 @mile pace on 1 min recovery for the second workout. The total workout volume for both is 10% of my weekly mileage, I’m just questioning why I am doing a hands on knees testing workout when VO2 is supposed to be the focus of this training phase (III).
VO2 workouts always make me so tired (run em at 3k pace) and I don’t think doing a testing workout two days after that will be predictive of what I can actually run a mile in.
Should I back off the VO2 pace? Maybe I’m racing my VO2s? They always just kill me for the whole week.
I will do my best on these but I really don’t want to get my a** handed to me on this testing workout with my last one being 5s slower than the first (if I run at goal mile pace (74s). Should I slow it down 2s/lap for current mile pace? 76-77?